COST OF PRIVATE BILL LEGISLATION.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can state the amount of expenses incurred by local authorities and railway and other companies in promoting and opposing Private Bills before Parliament for each year from 1892 to 1898, both inclusive, for England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales (including Monmouthshire) respectively; whether, before the Second Reading of the Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland) Bill is taken, he will give a Return (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 98, of Session 1893–4); and if he can state whether any material change has taken place since that Return was issued in the proportionate cost of Welsh Private Bill Legislation relatively to that of Scotland?

The Secretary of State is unable to give the information asked for in the first and third paragraphs in the absence of
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a Return on the subject for the years mentioned for the whole kingdom. He will, however, consider whether such a Return can be granted; but it could not, of course, be made even for Wales before the Second Reading of the Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland) Bill.